In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a mechanism, incorporated in a drawer slide assembly having multiple telescoping slide channels for locking one telescopic, slide channel or member in an extended position in a second slide channel and subsequently manually release the telescoped slide channel from its locked and extended position by means of a manual release construction which avoids exposure to a pinch point.
Multiple drawer cabinets for office storage and the like include drawers that are typically mounted on slide assemblies comprised of two or more nesting, telescopically movable slide channels or members which are attached respectively to the inside of a cabinet housing and the outside of the drawer. Various types of such slide assembly mechanisms have been developed to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of drawers between a drawer closed position and a drawer open position.
Often it is desirable to open a drawer and maintain the drawer in the open position as the contents of the drawer are reviewed or accessed. Various mechanisms incorporated in the slide assembly have been proposed for maintaining drawers in an open, locked position. Typically such mechanisms require manual release and thus exposure of the individual using the drawer to pinch points associated with the locking mechanism for the slide assembly. Development of a locking and release mechanism for a slide assembly which minimizes or avoids exposure of individuals to pinch points is thus a desirable objective and one motivation for development of the present invention.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a locking and release mechanism for a drawer slide which provides for automatic locking of a multiple channel slide assembly in an extended position and manual release when in the extended position.
Thus the slide assembly will include at least a first or outer slide channel and a second or inner slide channel which telescopically slides in the outer slide channel in a longitudinal axial direction. Each of the slide channels includes a center span or web. The center webs are in opposed, generally parallel relation to one another and slide longitudinally with respect to each other as the channels slide. The inner slide channel includes a first cantilever spring mounted on the central web with an active biased end that extends into the pathway of the center web of the outer slide channel when the inner slide channel is moved to the extended position to block or preclude movement of the inner channel slide to the retracted position once the inner slide channel has been extended. In order to release the first cantilever spring associated with the inner slide channel, a second cantilever spring is mounted on the center web of the outer slide channel. The second cantilever spring includes a prong which extends over the end of the outer slide channel in alignment with the longitudinal axis and opposed to the first cantilever spring mounted on the inner slide channel. The prong may be manually actuated to move toward and engage the first cantilever spring on the inner slide channel and thereby release it from blocking movement of the inner slide channel telescoping into the outer slide channel. Because the prong overlies the end of the outer slide channel, the described arrangement precludes exposure to a pinch point associated with the outer slide channel and, in particular, with the region of engagement of the outer slide channel with the first cantilever spring mounted on the inner slide channel.
Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved slide assembly having a feature which locks the slide assembly in an extended position while providing a safe and efficient release mechanism to enable release of the slide assembly from the extended position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, effective, unobtrusive, and accessible mechanism for slide assemblies which will lock the assembly in an extended position and yet provide for easy release from the locked position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a locking and release mechanism for slide assemblies which may be easily incorporated in slide assemblies of the type hereto manufactured without significant modification.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description that follows.